Julie Delance Feurgard (1859 - 1892)

Overview

Julie Delance-Feurgard (1859-1892) was a French painter whose brief but remarkable career exemplified the talents and ambitions of women artists in late nineteenth-century France. Born Julie Marie Feurgard on November 8, 1859, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, she was the daughter of Jules Feurgard and Adeline Guillet, originally from Saint-Malo. Despite her father’s employment in the Ministry of Finance, which might have suggested a conventional path, Julie pursued a professional career in painting, demonstrating a dedication and skill that quickly gained recognition in Parisian artistic circles.

In an era when women were still barred from the École des Beaux-Arts, Julie Delance-Feurgard trained at the Académie Julian, one of the few private institutions open to female students. There she studied under prominent masters including Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), Léon Bonnat (1833-1922), and Paul-Louis Delance (1848-1924). At the Académie, she formed close relationships with fellow female artists such as Marie Bashkirtseff (1858-1884) and Louise Catherine Breslau (1856-1927), the latter of whom painted a celebrated portrait of Julie in 1886, Sous les pommiers (“Under the Apple Trees”), now in the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne. Julie reciprocated by painting her friend at work, highlighting both her artistic skill and her commitment to capturing the lives of those around her.

In 1886, Julie married her teacher Paul-Louis Delance, and they had one daughter, Alice Delance (1888-1973), who later pursued watercolor painting. After marriage, Julie lived primarily in Paris, though the family’s home in Sannois remained an important source of inspiration. Her work often reflected domestic and pastoral themes, combining careful observation with a lyrical, naturalistic sensibility.

Julie exhibited regularly at the Salon des artistes français from 1880, earning honors for her submissions, including Un mariage à la campagne (1884) and La Crèche, also known as Les Berceaux (1888). Her works were admired for their graceful compositions and sensitivity to daily life, particularly the experiences of women and children. She also participated in the Exposition Universelle of 1889, further cementing her reputation within the French artistic establishment. Later, she exhibited with the Société nationale des beaux-arts, demonstrating her commitment to professional advancement in a period when women often struggled for recognition.

Tragically, Julie Delance-Feurgard’s career was cut short when she died at the age of 32 on January 11, 1892, in her Parisian home on Rue Belidor. Despite her early death, she left behind a body of work that illustrates both her technical skill and her perceptive engagement with the domestic and natural worlds. Her paintings remain in public collections in France and Belgium, and have continued to be recognized in exhibitions exploring the contributions of women artists in Paris between 1850 and 1900.